Dunford says path to peace requires Taliban reconciliation

(DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford reiterated on Nov. 17, 2018, that reconciliation is the only way forward in Afghanistan and that political, economic, religious, and military pressure must be maintained on the group.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized to Yalda Hakim, a foreign correspondent of BBC World News, that there is no military solution in Afghanistan and that the struggle in that country will require all aspects of government.

The chairman was participating in a Halifax Chat as part of the 10th annual International Security Forum here.

"Success in Afghanistan is an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation process," Dunford said. "That requires us to have political pressure, social pressure and military pressure. In the military dimension, our task is to make sure the Taliban realize that they cannot win on the battlefield."

NATO and partner nations are working closely with Afghan national security forces to keep the pressure on the Taliban. At the same time, other agencies are working to improve economic conditions in the country. In addition, Islamic organizations are working to encourage the Taliban to talk with and ultimately join the Afghan government. Religious leaders in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Pakistan have issued fatwas calling on the Taliban to lay down their weapons and talk peace, Dunford said.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is interviewed by BBC World News correspondent Yalda Hakim in Canada during the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, Nov. 17, 2018.

(DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Part of the pressure was the recent elections in Afghanistan. "The elections that just took place, [were] largely successful and less violent, certainly, than people predicted," he said. "And I think political transition in 2019 will also be critical in putting pressure on the Taliban."

All this will combine to convince Taliban leaders that their future lies with reconciliation, the general said.

"But the key to success is to combine all of that pressure to incentivize the Taliban for, again, that Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation process," he said.

Undergirding everything in Afghanistan is the South Asia Strategy. A key provision in that is its conditions-based approach. The Afghan government and Afghan people know that the world is with them in trying to move through this constant state of war. "And I would also say that the decision by NATO and partner nations to support the Afghan national defense security forces through 2024 absolutely affects the Taliban's calculus," Dunford said.

This article originally appeared on the United States Department of Defense. Follow @DeptofDefense on Twitter.